A mom with two young boys entered a transitional program with a major Orange County relief agency after fleeing her abusive partner. She has been working hard to obtain self-sufficiency. She has two special needs children, which creates additional barriers on her journey to self-sufficiency. Despite this, she continues to work multiple jobs to provide for her family.

Because of the violent situation at home, this hard-working mom was unable to go to a dentist or properly take care of her teeth. Her teeth are rotting and falling out. She has always put her children's health and needs first. Small Angels is paying for the dental work, which will allow this mom to eat without pain and stop the progression of her teeth falling out. She will not have to take time off from work or cancel any of her son's medical appointments due to her dental emergencies. She will be able to continue to save for emergencies and pay her bills on time.

A woman and her young children escaped a violent situation at home with just the clothes they were wearing. They were homeless, living in a car by a storage facility. Her partner was finally arrested and incarcerated. She and the kids are safe and on their own.

The mom has been working with many relief agencies, trying hard to succeed. With the help of one major relief agency, she and the kids now have a place to live, and she is working on getting a job. Their new home has little to no furniture. They were sleeping on the floor and needed beds and bedding. Small Angels Foundation provided beds and bedding and a small couch for the family. After being homeless for a long time, having a bed to sleep in will go a long way to making the children feel safe again, or maybe for the first time.

A young mother and her 3 boys are in transitional housing after having been rescued from a domestic violence situation. She has been working hard to obtain self-sufficiency. She wants to obtain a G.E.D. and then enroll in college courses online. Having the G.E.D. will make her qualified for more work opportunities. Small Angels purchased a Laptop for the mom to allow her to complete the G.E.D. online and take online college courses, while caring for her 3 boys. This will help her gain higher paying employment opportunities along with financial independence, a renewed sense of dignity, and family stability.

A struggling mother with an 8-year-old daughter and little in the way of resources is between jobs and health insurance when she is caught off guard by an advanced cancer diagnosis. Mom faces one year of aggressive treatment in an uphill battle to hopefully regain her health and needs to stay on her insurance plan, but she has no way to pay for continued health insurance. Small Angels paid for one year of her COBRA health insurance payments, allowing her to focus on her health challenge and her young daughter.

A father donated one of his kidneys to save his daughter's life. The surgery required him to take several months off work. His family of four risked homelessness without his income. Small Angels provided a gift to help maintain the family's housing and stability during his recovery.

A woman lost her husband unexpectedly a year ago. She has 3 boys, 2 in college and a senior in high school. She works as a part time librarian at an elementary school. Her husband was the main contributor to their income and now that he is gone, she is putting everything she has towards her boys and their education.

To be considered for a full-time position, you must have a master's degree in library sciences. She applied and was accepted for this degree program but needs help with the costs for tuition and books. Small Angels has agreed to pay the University for her tuition and books. The decision to earn her master's degree will change her future. With a full time position she can provide for her family and receive medical benefits for them. This grant will relieve the financial stress so she can focus on her family, her job, and getting her degree.

A grandmother is taking care of her 3 grandchildren. The children have experienced a lot of instability with their biological parents including family violence, exposure to drug use, and homelessness. The Grandmother feels that the children are safer and happier living with her and is currently in the process of gaining legal custody. The family (Grandma and 3 grand kids) recently moved into a new apartment and the beds the children sleep on are old and damaged and they use boxes rather than a dresser to store clothing. The Grandmother has had difficulty maintaining a job due to her health and has not been able to afford new beds or a dresser for the children. She has a good relationship with her grandchildren, understands their physical and emotional needs, and is a loving and supportive parental figure for them.

Small Angels provided beds, bedding, and dressers for the 3 children and school uniforms for the 2 youngest. Now the children will be able to comfortably sleep in their own beds. This will improve their living conditions and reduce stress in their lives

A 70-year-old, low income, senior Veteran needed major dental work. His small income just covered the low-cost housing provided by an Orange County relief agency and a few bills. The State is providing him with dental insurance and food stamps. He needed financial assistance to cover the co-pay for his dental work, which he had difficulty raising.

Small Angels paid the co-pay to make sure that he has excellent oral health and renewed confidence. By assisting with this financial contribution, Small Angels’ gift allows this veteran to use his income to meet his housing and basic needs.

A mom with two young boys entered a transitional program with a major Orange County relief agency after fleeing her abusive partner. She has been working hard to obtain self-sufficiency. She has two special needs children, which creates additional barriers on her journey to self-sufficiency. Despite this, she continues to work multiple jobs to provide for her family.

Because of the violent situation at home, this hard-working mom was unable to go to a dentist or properly take care of her teeth. Her teeth are rotting and falling out. She has always put her children’s health and needs first. Small Angels is paying for the dental work, which will allow this mom to eat without pain and stop the progression of her teeth falling out. She will not have to take time off from work or cancel any of her son’s medical appointments due to her dental emergencies. She will be able to continue to save for emergencies and pay her bills on time.

A woman and her young children escaped a violent situation at home with just the clothes they were wearing. They were homeless, living in a car by a storage facility. Her partner was finally arrested and incarcerated. She and the kids are safe and on their own.

The mom has been working with many relief agencies, trying hard to succeed. With the help one major relief agency, she and the kids now have a place to live, and she is working on getting a job. Their new home has little to no furniture. They were sleeping on the floor and needed beds and bedding. Small Angels Foundation provided beds and bedding and a small couch for the family. After being homeless for a long time, having a bed to sleep in will go a long way to making the children feel safe again or maybe for the first time.

A young Orange County man had been incarcerated for most of his adolescent years. He grew up in a gang infested neighborhood and was a heavy drug user due to trauma in his past, which caused him to do things he now regrets. He was either in Juvenile Detention or on probation from ages 13 to 19. He has now successfully completed his probation and talks about wanting to provide for his family, is looking forward to the future, and is no longer affiliating himself with negative influences. He is living in a Sober Living House, regularly attends meetings, and has a youth wrap-around team for additional support. This great support team is provided by a major relief agency which provides services to help offenders successfully transition from prison to a productive life in the community. They help rehabilitate adult offenders and steer youth to set new, positive directions for their lives.

This young man is now enrolled in college and needs a computer to complete his course work. He has many writing assignments. The requirements are stringent for papers to be typed and emailed to the professor. Most high schools require students to have laptops and participate in an electronic environment. Colleges, even more so; and with the COVID 19 Virus lockdown with all schools closed, a computer is mandatory to participate in any educational environment. Small Angels provided this young man with a lap top computer. This will allow him to compete in college and transition to a productive life in the community.

An elementary school girl is living with her mother and special needs brother in a transitional housing program through a relief agency. The mom and the siblings were homeless following a situation of abuse by the father followed by neglect and family abandonment. The abuse directed at the girl was severe enough to require surgery, resulting in her having self-esteem and social integration challenges. Her elementary school was sponsoring an educational trip to Washington D.C. and New York. Small Angels helped pay for her to go on the school trip to boost her self-esteem and self-confidence. The educational trip will facilitate her development of social skills and allow her to build more friendships

A young mother and her 3 boys are in transitional housing after having been rescued from a domestic violence situation. She has been working hard to obtain self-sufficiency. She wants to obtain a G.E.D. and then enroll in college courses online. Having the G.E.D. will make her qualified for more work opportunities. Small Angels purchased a laptop computer for the mom to allow her to complete the G.E.D. online and take online college courses, while caring for her 3 boys. This will help her gain higher paying employment opportunities along with financial independence, a renewed sense of dignity, and family stability.

A mother and daughter are living in a transitional shelter for homeless women and children to escape an abusive family relationship. The mother has found part-time work as a marketing assistant and has gone back to college full-time to complete her bachelor’s degree in graphic design. A computer is a necessary tool for completing the graphic design assignments. The daughter is in 10th grade at a local charter school that does not supply computers for their students. Much of the schoolwork is in the form of e-books and online activity. Mom and daughter get what they can in terms of computer time at local libraries, but they are required to be back at the shelter by the 11PM curfew. Small Angels paid for laptop computers for mom and daughter to enhance their ability to improve their situation and gain financial independence and stability.

A struggling mother with an 8-year old daughter and little in the way of resources is between jobs and health insurance when she is caught off guard by an advanced cancer diagnosis. Mom faces one year of aggressive treatment in an uphill battle to hopefully regain her health and needs to stay on her insurance plan, but she has no way to pay for continued health insurance. Small Angels paid for one year of her COBRA health insurance payments allowing her to focus on her health challenge and her young daughter.

A man hits 'rock bottom' after losing his job, his home and his relationships due to years of substance abuse. He turned his life around through programs at a homeless shelter, distinguishing himself through his work and service to others. Eventually he secured full time employment on their staff but was not able to pursue a management opportunity because of a dental condition resulting from the substance abuse that caused difficulty speaking, chewing and smiling. He would not be able to effectively work with donors, vendors and the public, and lacked confidence to even try. Small Angels paid to restore his mouth and his confidence, allowing him to become the manager where he continues to serve others.

A young boy grew up while his father was in prison. His mom passed away when he was 10 years old. With no one to look after him, he ended up with the wrong crowd and got into serious trouble. After multiple times in Juvenile Detention, he was sent to a facility for troubled youngsters in Orange County. This facility provided much needed guidance and set the stage for him to attend high school and college, where he distinguished himself. He is now in his 1st semester of Law School and does not have the funds to buy his books or a laptop computer. Small Angels purchased the required books and a laptop computer so that he can excel in school and realize his passion to share his story and serve as a mentor, ambassador, and leader to foster youth who are struggling to overcome obstacles and pursue their dreams and aspirations.

A six-year old boy was born with an extremely rare congenital heart defect. He has had 3 open heart surgeries this year alone. Mental Health Care Professionals said that getting him into therapy would be critical to his emotional health throughout the years that he will be undergoing surgeries. The condition itself is extraordinarily rare, and the mental health therapy and the 9-weeks of in-home, post op care is not covered by insurance. His mom, a working single mom, is struggling to pay for all these expenses not covered by insurance. She is in debt and can borrow no more money. She has no choice but to severely cutback or eliminate the mental health therapy. Small Angels has stepped in and paid for the mental health therapy.

A woman is currently in a transitional housing program and has an opportunity to become a Registered Nurse, enabling her and her family to escape homelessness and obtain a higher quality of life. The family sought help after experiencing a whirlwind of setbacks that crippled what was previously a strong financial foundation. They lost their primary source of income and health insurance when her husband was laid off, having been on dialysis for years for kidney failure. Her mother, an additional source of income, passed away. The woman has worked as a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). She was also attending school to become a Registered Nurse (RN). She is now the sole provider for her family. Small Angels paid for tuition to complete her RN work and for the additional expenses needed to secure employment immediately as an LVN, thus helping her attain a renewed sense of dignity and help the family gain self-sufficiency.

A single mom and her two elementary school aged daughters are homeless, having escaped from domestic violence. She survived significant physical and sexual abuse and is currently working through the trauma she experienced. She and her children were referred to an Orange County relief shelter. The mom is in a great deal of pain and has been avoiding dental treatment for years because she is extremely fearful and also knows that she cannot afford the work that she needs completed. She had been homeless for nearly 3-years and addressing her dental needs will be an important step for her to secure employment and obtain stable housing. Small Angels paid for her dental work so that she can improve the quality of life for her and her daughters.

An 82-year-old retired woman was severely disabled after being hit by a drunk driver. She became homeless after the apartment complex that she had been living in for 25 years was sold, renovated, and re-listed at a rate she could not afford. Being on a fixed income, she was forced to live in her vehicle. An Orange County relief agency got her into an apartment, and they provided counseling and food. She has made incredible strides in improving her life and health since entering the relief agency’s program. However, she is currently struggling with immense discomfort and difficulty eating due to her need for a partial bridge. Her dental insurance does not cover bridge work and she does not have the means necessary to pay for this herself. She has been unable to eat comfortably and has lost a concerning amount of weight. Small Angels paid for her bridgework to insure her on-going day to day health, overall well-being and quality of life.

A woman found a fulfilling profession that utilized her skills learned in college and the California National Guard helping and supporting children. For the past nine years she has been a one-on-one aid with autistic children at a school district. The pay is poor, but the job was rewarding in non-financial ways. During the past year, a pipe broke in the walls of her apartment and the landlord failed to respond. As toxic mold grew in the walls, she became sick and was forced to move out. The landlord refused to return her security deposit and she became homeless, living in her car for six months. Despite this, she worked every day. An Orange County relief agency helped her find a place to live. This year she discovered that root canals she had done previously were infected into the bone. Left unchecked, these infections can cause serious health consequences, including heart disease. Small Angels paid for the specialized root canal treatment to restore her health and allow her to continue her good work assisting autistic children.

An Orange County family experienced a horrible tragedy two years ago. The mom and four school-aged children suffered the loss of their father in a traumatic altercation in which he was shot and killed right in front of them. As a result of that experience, the four children and the mom have been dealing with several social and emotional issues coupled with mounting financial problems that has left them homeless. Fortunately, they found an Orange County relief agency that is helping them with shelter and food. The mom wants to find an activity to do with the children to promote further bonding and psychological healing. The family would like to receive swimming lessons. Small Angels paid for the swimming lessons for the family and access to the pool for the summer.

A single mom (a victim of domestic violence) and her 3 young children were homeless for 2-years, living in a business complex. She was given notice to leave the business complex and she and her children were facing the streets. Through all of this, the mom has been working full time, but was not able to save enough to get an apartment. With the help from a relief agency, she was able to find a reasonably priced apartment for her and her children. However, they lack many necessities, including beds and bedding. Small Angels paid for beds and bedding, so they won’t have to sleep on the floor. This will increase her dignity and quality of life, and further their transition from homelessness to a family with a place to call home.

A single unemployed mother suffers from seizures, which have resulted in several broken teeth and has others that are decayed or missing. She has frequent headaches as well as jaw and ear pain all caused by abscesses and tooth decay. Some of the work was covered by Denti-Cal, but the remaining work is not. She has been receiving services from a local relief agency, including food distribution and homeless prevention counseling. Small Angels paid for her dental work to ensure that she is pain-free and able to smile again.

A single mother of two children ages 6 and 13 (one a special-needs child) is seeking to rebuild her life. She and her children left an abusive relationship with little in the way of resources. She obtained crisis housing and progressed through the relief agency programs, including training in massage therapy and is ready to begin working in that field. She needs to obtain license certificate in massage therapy to secure her job. Small Angels paid for her final classes and her license certificate so that she will be financially independent and be able to work and thrive in a field she is passionate about.

A working family lost both mother and father in close proximity to one another. The family's resources were mostly exhausted following their mother's extended battle with cancer and then funeral. When their father died a short time afterward, they scurried to scrape some funds together, but their efforts were not enough to bury their father in the cemetery plot next to their mother. Small Angels was impressed with the family and their effort, and with little time remaining provided the balance needed to proceed.

A local boy with a passion for running wanted to join a track club. Small Angels sponsored his membership in the club so he could pursue his goals on the track.

Cubbies for Special Children

When the State’s school funding was cut back, a special education teacher found herself without funds to purchase the learning tools her students needed. The students, who suffered from various disabilities, such as autism, needed a mobile storage unit, specifically designed to help them form routines and learn independence. Small Angels purchased the unit to help improve the lives of those students.

A former drug addict had been sober for years, but his teeth had deteriorated as a consequence of his prior drug use. He needed dentures to help him eat solid foods again. Small Angels paid to replace his teeth.

A mother was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension, which required her continual use of oxygen for her survival. Shortly thereafter, her family's lease ran out and they were forced to find new housing. Her husband’s salary was not enough to support the family on a day-to-day basis. Small Angels gave the family first and last month's rent to move into a new apartment, new beds so they would not have to sleep on the floor, payment for their children's dental visits, and the costs of groceries and utilities for their first month in their new apartment.

Two U.S. soldiers met while serving in the Iraq War and got married. When they returned home the government could not locate substantial reimbursements owed to the couple. They were forced to move in with relatives for financial support. Small Angels gave the couple a gift to allow them to move into their own home while they waited for back pay from the government. Small Angels also paid for the 1/1 Infantry Ball, which Marines attended prior to their deployment to Iraq.

A father was laid off work leaving his family homeless. While he searched for a job, his family lived in shelters. A family member in Florida offered to give the family a place to live and help them find jobs, but they could not afford the airfare to get their family across the country. Small Angels bought the family airline tickets to Florida and gave them a chance at a new life.

A little girl was diagnosed with a rare skin disease, caused by lack of a protein that allows the skin to adhere to her body. When she was born, she had no skin on the lower two thirds of her legs. Every day she had to be wrapped in bandages to prevent infection and disease. Small Angels purchased new windows for her family’s home to help keep her cool under her bandages and reduce her heat rashes.

A young girl found a love for music, playing the trumpet in her high school band. Her family could not afford to buy her a trumpet to continue her musical education. Small Angels purchased the instrument for her.

A family of four lived in a one room motel for two years. The neighborhood was becoming dangerous, and the family wanted to give their children a better home. They found a two-bedroom apartment but could not afford the move-in costs. Small Angels paid those costs and first and last month’s rent.

A boy needed urgent oral surgery, including two root canals, the extraction of four teeth, and a partial denture. The boy’s family could not afford his dental costs. Small Angels paid the balance of the boy’s surgery costs.

Six students from a local elementary school wanted to attend science camp but their parents could not afford to send them. Small Angels paid to send all six students to camp.

A day porter, who spent every day on his feet, suffered severe foot pain. After several failed treatments, a podiatrist recommended surgery. Small Angels paid for the surgery.

A boy was diagnosed with Gaucher’s Disease and Muscular Dystrophy at birth. During his teenage years, the diseases stripped him of his ability to walk. Every year, the l2th grade class at his school takes a 6-week trip to Europe, which is the highlight of their high school experience. Although the teen was able to raise the money for his own trip, he could not afford to pay for the costs of a companion to provide him with the care he required during the trip. Small Angels’ Board unanimously approved a gift for the boy’s companion, which would allow him to take his senior trip with his classmates.

While pregnant, a mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer. The doctors decided to take her baby early, via cesarean section. After the cesarean section, she began aggressive chemotherapy. Although the family was on Medi-Cal, they could not cover the costs of the cesarean section. Small Angels covered those costs. One month later, Small Angels paid the family’s mortgage for a month, so they would not lose their home.

Doctors diagnosed a newborn with Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome (RTS). RTS is genetic and causes both physical and mental developmental delays. When the family first wrote to Small Angels, their daughter’s throat muscles would not allow her to take in enough food to survive. The family needed help paying for swallow therapy to help their daughter learn to swallow. Small Angels helped subsidize her swallow therapy.

A father donated one of his kidneys to save his daughter’s life. The surgery required him to take several months off work. His family of four risked homelessness without his income. Small Angels provided a gift to help maintain the family’s housing and stability during his recovery.

A daughter of an alcoholic mother and drug-using stepfather struggled with drug use and truancy. At age 17, she got sober and began attending school regularly. Worried she would fall into bad habits with “old friends,” she looked for better role models and friends who would lead her to a better life. Coastal Mountain Youth Academy is a camp that takes at risk children and provides them with appropriate role models and structure designed to end drug use. Small Angels paid for her to attend Coastal Mountain Youth Academy. Now, she remains sober and drug free.